Piston ring



M rch 29, 1949- M. w. MARIEN PISTON RING Filed larch 29, 1946 INVENTOR:MELVIN W MARIEN BYA'! ATYQTYORN Ev.

I Patented Mar. 29, 1949 4 UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,485,521 IMelvin w. Mm::, I:::, M0., asaignor 9 Ramsey C rporation. Wilmington,Del., a poration of Delaware ,i W

Application March 29, 1946, Serial No. 658,008

3 Claims. (Cl. 309-45) My invention has relation to improvements inpiston packing rings and it consists in the novel features ofconstruction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed outin the claims.

two narrow cylinder contacting faces 8, 6 spaced 2 apart entirely aroundthe ring from one of the terminal pillars 3' to the other adjacent tothe ring gap 1.

The upper and lower outer corners of ring I" The present invention isfor a packing ring 5 are provided with beveled edges 8, 8 whereby theand embodies two elementsan outer ring elecylinder contacting faces 8, 8are still further rement for contact with the cylinder wall, and anduced in width. The bevels 8, 8 may be either inner stabilizing elementfor backing up the ring. plane surfaces or a combination of plane andThe stabilizing element is a spring of general curved surfaces (asshown) and serve as oil repolygonal shape similar to the well knownpiston 10 servoirs when the ring is functioning in the ring expander butdiffers fundementally theregroove for lubricating the upper reaches ofthe from in its action, in that the ring does not obcylinder. In themanufacture of the rings the taln its spring pressure from thestabilizer which extent of the bevels 8 may be varied for controlmerelyserves to steady the ring action and preling the extent of the uppercylinder lubrication. vent ring flutter." It should also be noted thatwith respect to both Many other advantages are inherent in my imtheslots 2 and bevels 8 the surfaces are smooth proved packing ring, suchasand there are no obstructions or comers to im- 1. Quick action. pedethe free flow of oil and permit carbonac- 2. Minimum drag on cylinderwall. cumulations. p f

3. Long life due to minimum stress and strain. Behind each of the ringsl and I there isa 4. Low pressure loss after installation. stabilizer 8and behind oil ring I" there is a 5. High spring rate combined with lowoperatstabilizer I0, said stabilizers differing only in that ingpressure. stabilizer I0 is provided with oil ventilating slots All theseadvantages will be more apparent II. The stabilizers 8, I0 areessentially springs from a detailed description of the invention informed in a substantially polygonal shape. Howconnection with the.accompanying drawings in ever, the flat sides a, a, a, etc. areconnected by -whichrounded corners b, b, etc. having a comparativelyFigure 1 is a side elevation of a conventional large radius r so thatthe polygonal shape appiston head equipped with my improved packingproaches circularity resulting in a small spring ring; Fig. 2 is anenlarged horizontal cross-seclift (Fig. 7). The large radius of thecorners or tion taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 with parts crimps b alsoprovides a long bearing area bebroken away; Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof the tween the stabilizer 8 or iii and rings I, l' or I" ringstabilizer; Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevawhich minimizes wear andincreases the stability tion of the oil ring in the lower groove withparts of the ring in action. broken away; Fig. 5 is combinedcross-section 5 The stabilizer is provided with oil'vents H, II andperspective of a portion of the oil ring; Fig. in the flat sides a, awhich contain the points of 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing thecomminimum bending moment so that the stressing pression rings; and Fig.'7 is an edge view of the of the stabilizer is not seriously affected.stabilizer in its free state. While the stabilizer is relatively heavy,it is de- Referring to the drawings P represents a con- 40 signed toexert very little pressure on the ring ventional piston operable in acylinder 0, said since the ring pressure is built into the ring itpistonhaving grooves g, g and g" for receiving self. This is a wide departurefrom the old style piston packing rings l, I' and I". The ring I" ringand expander where the ring pressure is essentially an oil ring. Thepresent invention against the cylinder wall was obtained primarily isequally applicable to bothcompression and oil from the expander. Thereason for thus departrings so the detailed description will be directeding from the heretofore expander practice is to only to the oil ring I".obtain a high resistance against collapse in op- The ring I" has aplurality of radial slots 2, 2 eration. etc. centrally disposed and of awidth equal ap- Due to the variations in the cylinder diameterproximately to one-third the total width of the under temperaturechanges the piston clearances ring. These slots are separated by pillars3, 3 will also vary. Compromises in engine design etc. across the outerfaces 4, 4 of which are chanhave heretofore been resorted to for thepurpose nels 5, 5 etc. which connect adjacent slots 2, 2. of taking careof these variations and avoiding The merging of the slots 2 and channels5 provide piston teetering and piston slap. My improved ringconstruction embodying a stabilizer having low spring lift but highspring resistance as above set forth insures stability of the pistonthroughout all the conditions encountered during the operation of theengine.

The herein described ring and stabilizer, unlike the old style ring andexpander, are primarily intended for use in new engines and utilize thebasic principle of the expander type ring to the fullest possible extentin preventing ring flutter," piston vibration, piston rocking and pistonslap. The limited stabilizing action of the expander is developed to thehighest degree in my improved stabilizer.

The merits of conventional type snap such as quick action and minimumdrag on the cylinder wall are combined with effective oil control andcompression sealing together with long ring, piston and cylinder life.

These properties may be further augmented by plating both the rings andthe stabilizer with chromium or other metal having similar properties.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a piston for operation in a cylinder of aninternal combustion engine, said piston having a ring groove, a pistonring in said groove, said ring having inherent spring tension to retaineifective contact with the cylinder wall in action, and a stabilizerconfined in said groove between the ring and the groove bottom, saidstabilizer comprising a ribbon of metal bent to a substantiallypolygonal shape having alternate straight sides and connecting roundedcorners to constitute a series of spring elements,

the lift of said elements being approximately equal to the clearancebetween the ring and the bottom of the groove.

2. In combination with a piston for operation in a cylinder of aninternal combustion engine, said piston having a ring groove, a pistonring in said groove, said ring having inherent spring tension to retaineffective contact with the cylinder wall in action, and a stabilizerconfined in said groove between the ring and the groove bottom, saidstabilizer comprising a ribbon of metal bent to a substantiallypolygonal shape having alternate straight sides and connecting roundedcorners to constitute a series of spring elements,

the lift of the spring elements being of such wall substantiallythroughout its circumference.

3. In combination with a piston for operation in a cylinder of aninternal combustion engine, said piston having a ring groove, a pistonring in said groove, said ring having inherent spring tension to-retaineflective contact with the cylinder wall in action, and a stabilizerconflned in said groove between the ring and the groove bottom, saidstabiiizer comprising a ribbon of metal bent to a substantiallypolygonal shape having alternate straight sides and connecting roundedcorners to constitute a series of spring elements, the lift of saidelements being approximately equal to the clearance between the ring andthe bottom of the groove, whereas to impart pressure to the piston ringonly when said ring ceases to contact the cylinder wall.

MELVIN W. MARIEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file ofthis patent:

Smith Nov. 14, 1944

